{"id":4859,"date":"2017-08-11T06:02:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T06:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vedkabhed.com\/index.php\/2015\/08\/11\/gambling-in-hinduism\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T06:41:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T06:41:30","slug":"gambling-in-hinduism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vedkabhed.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/11\/gambling-in-hinduism\/","title":{"rendered":"Gambling in Hinduism"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Written by Sulaiman Razvi<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gambling is a vice that leads to the loss of wealth, destroys families, and gives rise to many other social evils. It encourages dependence on luck rather than hard work, as people turn to it as a shortcut to gain riches. Yet this practice has found sanction within Hindu tradition. <\/span>When Hinduism and gambling are mentioned together, the first image that often comes to mind is the Mahabharata episode in which Shakuni casts the dice.<\/span> However, gambling in India predates the Mahabharata, and references to it can be found even in the Vedas.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Agni Purana, in Chapter 91, describes a superstitious ritual involving the preparation of a gambling board and the casting of dice to foretell the future. <\/span>Moreover, it was not only money, property, cows, or horses that were wagered in such games, but even human beings, especially wives. Some examples include the staking of Draupadi by the Pandavas and the episode involving Urvashi and Indra.<\/span> Gambling is therefore not an unfamiliar or marginal practice in Hindu society. Even today, many Hindus spend the night of Diwali engaged in various forms of gambling, reflecting the continuity of this tradition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wr<\/span>ites<\/span> in his book Riddles in Hinduism, \u201cThe Aryans were a race of gamblers. Gambling was developed to science in very early days of the Aryan Civilization so much so that they had even devised certain technical terms. The Hindus used the words Krita, <\/span>Treta<\/span>, <\/span>Dwapara<\/span> and Kali as the names of the four Yugas or periods into which historical times are divided. As a matter of <\/span>fact<\/span> originally these are the names of the dices used by the Aryans at gambling. The luckiest dice was called Krita and the unluckiest was called Kali. <\/span>Treta<\/span> and <\/span>Dwapara<\/span> were intermediate between them. Not only was gambling well developed among the ancient Aryans but the stakes were very high. Gambling with high money stakes have been known elsewhere. But they are nothing as compared with those which are known to have been offered by the Aryans. Kingdoms and even their wives were offered by them as stakes at gambling. King Nala staked his kingdom and lost it. The Pandavas went much beyond. They not only staked their kingdom they also staked their wife Draupadi and lost both. Among the Aryans gambling was not the game of the rich. It was a vice of the many. So widespread was gambling among the Ancient Aryans that the burden of all the writers of the Dharma Sutras (Shastras?) was to impress upon the King the urgency of controlling it by State Authorities under stringent laws\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Ambedkar <\/span>further writes<\/span>, \u201cComing to Kali it is one of the cycles made up of four Yugas: Krita, <\/span>Treta<\/span>, <\/span>Dwapar<\/span> and Kali. What is the origin of the term Kali? The terms Krita, <\/span>Treta<\/span>, <\/span>Dwapar<\/span> and Kali are known to have been used in the three different connections. The earliest use of the term Kali as well as of other terms is connected with the game of dice. From the Rig-Veda it appears that the dice piece that was used in the game was made of the brown fruit of the <\/span>Vibhidaka<\/span> tree being about the size of a nutmeg, nearly round with five <\/span>slightly flattened sides. Later <\/span>on<\/span> the dice was made of four sides instead of five. Each side was marked with different numerals 4, 3, 2 and 1. The side marked with 4 was called Krita, with 3 <\/span>Treta<\/span>, with 2 <\/span>Dwapara<\/span> and with 1 Kali.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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As Dr. Ambedkar observed, the four Yugas are said to derive their names from throws of dice. The dice were four sided, with the side marked four called Krita, three <\/span>Treta<\/span>, two <\/span>Dwapara<\/span>, and one Kali. According to <\/span>Chandogya<\/span> Upanishad 4.1.4, the highest or winning throw was known as Krita, which is also another name for Satya Yuga, while the lowest throw was called Kali. The game of <\/span>Chaupar<\/span> was among the most popular forms of gambling.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sanskrit word Aksha, also spelled Aksa, is commonly used in Hindu texts to refer to dice. In the Vedic period, dice were also called Babhru, meaning brown, because they were made from the nuts of the <\/span>Vibhidaka<\/span> tree. Later, cowries were used, and oblong stick shaped dice known as Pasa became more common. Rig Veda 1.41.9 indicates that four dice were used in play, while <\/span>Satapatha<\/span> Brahmana 5.4.4.6 mentions the use of five dice during the Rajasuya ceremony. Gambling appears to have been a form of amusement particularly associated with the Kshatriya class. Matsya Purana 61.32<\/span>–<\/span>33 states that King Nimi played dice with women, and Markandeya Purana 20.1 to 5 refers to King Satrujit, who enjoyed himself both in gambling and in the practice of various weapons.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One<\/span> of the Vedic <\/span>R<\/span>ishis, Kavasa <\/span>Ailusa<\/span>, is described as being addicted to gambling in the Aitareya Brahmana 2.19 and the <\/span>Kausitaki<\/span> Brahmana 12.3, indicating that the practice was not merely theoretical but socially embedded.<\/span><\/p>\n

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According to <\/span>Gaudiya<\/span> Vaishnavite (ISKCON) texts, Kalidasa is said to have played dice in jest.<\/span><\/p>\n

CC <\/span>Antya<\/span> Lila 16.6-7 \u201c<\/span>K\u0101lid\u0101sa<\/span> was a very advanced devotee, yet he was simple and liberal. He would chant the holy name of <\/span>K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a<\/span> while performing all his ordinary dealings. When he used to throw dice in jest, he would chant Hare <\/span>K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a<\/span> while throwing the dice.\u201d<\/span> (<\/span>Source<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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In Kalki Purana 33.23, the Kalki avatar is described as holding a conch, dice, club, lotus, and bow in his hands. These figures are not the only religious personalities in Hinduism associated with gambling. Several other gods are also depicted as enjoying gambling, and some are even described as being addicted to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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